Ulaanbaatar – “Desertification in Mongolia is visible to the naked eye,” Sister Sandra Garay, an Argentine nun, Consolata missionary, in Mongolia since 2004 and is currently executive director of Caritas Mongolia, told Fides on the occasion of COP17, the UN Conference on Desertification, being held in Ulaanbaatar from August 17 to 28. “When I travel outside the capital, I increasingly notice the signs of a changing landscape. There is less and less grass, water sources are disappearing, and the land is becoming increasingly arid. Herders speak of harsh winters and increasingly dry summers,” she said.
For Sister Garay, in Mongolia “climate change, desertification and biodiversity loss are closely interconnected.” The progressive degradation of pastureland is compounded by drought and extreme weather events, as well as by the pressure exerted by human activities on the land. An environmental crisis is rapidly becoming a social crisis, particularly for families whose livelihoods depend on pastoralism.
The situation is alarming. According to the UNCCD , Mongolia, with an area of about 1.56 million square kilometers, is among the countries most severely affected by land degradation and desertification, which affect nearly 77% of its territory. Pastureland accounts for around 70% of the country’s territory and forms the basis of pastoral livelihoods for about one-third of the population. The causes are multiple, Sister Garay explains: “Drought and climate change are compounded by factors linked to human activities, such as overgrazing, deforestation and unsustainable land use.”
Extreme weather events are also leaving an increasingly visible mark. The UNCCD reports that in Mongolia the annual number of days marked by sand and dust storms has more than tripled compared with the 1960s, while droughts have become more frequent. Among the most dramatic emergencies is the “dzud,” a climatic phenomenon typical of Mongolia that combines extremely harsh winter conditions with limited access to pasture and fodder, resulting in the death of large numbers of livestock.
According to the FAO, around 7.9 million animals died during the 2023–2024 dzud, equivalent to 12.3% of the country’s total livestock population.
“For herding families whose livelihoods depend on livestock, losing their animals often means losing everything and falling into poverty,” observes the Consolata missionary. “That is why the fight against desertification is a fight to protect the livelihoods and the very lives of rural communities,” she adds. The response, according to the missionary, must combine environmental protection with support for local populations. “On the one hand,” she says, “there is an urgent need for more sustainable pasture management, protecting springs and wells and promoting more efficient use of water resources. Reforestation can also help protect the soil. At the same time, rural families can be supported in diversifying their sources of income, so that they are not devastated by the dzud when it strikes their lives.” This approach brings together environmental protection, food security and the dignity of rural communities. It is no coincidence that COP17, hosted by Mongolia in 2026, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, is also focusing on rangeland restoration and the well-being of pastoral communities.
It is in this context that the experience of Caritas Mongolia comes into play. The organization has long been involved in environmental protection, sustainable agriculture and strengthening livelihoods among local communities. In the past, Garay explains, “Caritas implemented agricultural initiatives involving the construction of passive solar greenhouses and training for communities in alternative, organic and sustainable farming methods. The aim was to promote food production suited to Mongolia’s harsh climate, while encouraging more responsible use of water and soil.” In addition, “we support herding communities in developing sustainable sources of income that complement traditional livestock farming, in order to reduce their vulnerability to environmental degradation and the effects of climate change,” she adds.
Today, the organization is carrying out a pilot project in Mongolia to test the technique of “half-moons,” water-harvesting and land-restoration systems used in arid regions. “We intend to assess whether this methodology,” Sister Garay explains, “can help combat desertification, restore degraded pastureland and natural habitats, increase soil moisture and promote the regeneration of vegetation.”
“Caring for the land means caring for people,” Sister Garay says, summing up Caritas Mongolia’s approach in a country where the land is directly tied to the survival of local communities. “Combating desertification,” she concludes, “means defending not only the environment, but also the future of thousands of families.”
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